Before use, some electronic components can require calibration. With such electronic components, calibration can be necessary because the initial condition or operational state of the component may be unknown. Calibration can include the acts of 1) comparing an unknown to a standard instrument or reference, then 2) making an adjustment or a correction based on the comparison. In the case of electronic components, the comparison can be between a test bias condition and a reference bias condition and the adjustment can be a change of the test bias level to set a final bias level.
The adjustment steps in a calibration procedure can be constant incremental steps that continue until a calibration completion criterion is satisfied. Since the electronic component's response to each constant incremental step is unknown, the calibration procedure may need to step for an extended period until a bias condition that satisfies the calibration completion criterion is found.